Obliviously In Love
by xoxomrshmalfoyxoxo
Summary: SEQUAL TO FANTASIES FULFILLED! It's five years after graduation and Hermione hasn't been back at Hogwarts since then nor has she seen a certain professor. But what will happen when she's forced to see him for a job? Will old feelings come back? M FOR SMUT
1. Meeting Again

**AN: Hello everyone!!!!!**

**I'm glad to be back in business again. Now everyone who faithfully read and commented on my story, Fantasies Fulfilled, I'm happy to say this is the sequel! It's been quite a while since I finished it, but i re-read it and decided I wanted to write more! So I really do hope you enjoy it.**

**A few things I'd like to say before beginning the story: **

**1. Ginny and Lupin will not be together in this story. Let's just say that their fling didn't last very long, and Ginny is with her rightful partner, Harry.**

**2. I didn't really discuss this in Fantasies Fulfilled, but the war was over by then. Dumbledore should've been dead at that point but I mentioned his name then, which I now admit to being a mistake. He _was_ dead back then too and McGonnagal was headmistress. **

**3. This takes place about five years after their graduation from Hogwarts, so now the trio is at the age of 22-23.**

**That's it. Now enjoy!!**

**xoxomrshmalfoyxoxo**

* * *

"Merlin!" Hermione exclaimed. "Great! Just wonderful!" Her morning coffee, which was cold by now, was now spilt all over her new, white blouse. She grabbed a napkin from her desk and starting dabbing her blouse with it. It was only after a few frustrating minutes of dabbing pointlessly at the spot, that she realized that she was a witch. Even more angry than before, she grabbed her wand and pointed it to her chest. The stain cleaned itself off completely. Sighing, she put down her wand and slumped against her chair. She had had a rough day.

She had woken up late this morning, which was unexcusable, _especially_ on a day like this. Rushing to get ready, she had walked out of her house, ready to apparate, when she realized that she had forgotten to grab her robes, and was standing in the street with complete muggle attire. Of course, this wasn't that unusual, for she lived in the middle of a muggle district, but she needed her robes for the office. It would be completely inappropriate to show up at work dressed as a muggle. Once finally arriving at work, she realized that the amount of workload on her desk was incredulously high. Yes, she had a lot of work, but her secretary was supposed to handle the minor things, which obviously hadn't happened here. It was only after five confused moments that she remembered that her secretary had told her she was pregnant and would be staying at home from now on. She had groaned, realizing that she would be needing to hire someone new. From then on, it had only gotten worse. The tremendous amount of work had piled up more and more. Hermione Granger was not used to behind in work.

Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath. This was not good. Her job in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement had been the best thing to happen to her after leaving Hogwarts and she did not want to let it get to her head. She was one of the thirteen governors of the Ministry of Magic, and the youngest one by nearly three centuries, thus facing a lot and a lot of responsibility. Of course, it was nothing she couldn't handle. But it still overwhelmed her at times.

She checked her watch. It was quarter after four. Sighing again she resigned her last hope that an owl would arrive from Professor McGonnagal, canceling their appointment. She was due at Hogwarts in fifteen minutes and she definitely did not want to go. But it was her job to visit, have the headmistress inform her on the devlopments of the school, go talk to the teachers individually, and generally make sure everything was still going normal at the school. Usually she would have her secretary do this job, but since she currently did not have one and the governors had chosen her to take over this particular responsibility, she had no choice but to visit the school she had attended five years previously.

Hermione didn't know why she was dreading going. After all she had loved the school and everything about her time there. It had been a wonderful experience. But still, there was something that just made her feel queesy when thinking of the task ahead. _Who are you kidding, Hermione._ she thought to herself. _You know what's making you nervous_. It was true. She couldn't deny it to herself. It was the part where she had to talk to the individual teachers that made her uncomfortable.

It had been five years since her seventh year at Hogwarts, hence being also five years since she had had an affair with one of her teachers. She smiled weakly to herself. Yes, it had been five years since her and Professor Snape had had their... _relationship_, for lack of better term. Everything had gone exactly as they had discussed it. Hermione still vividly remembered their last night together; the day before graduation. She had spent the night with him, as she had done many times leading up to that point. They had been together all night, making slow and sweet love. It was the most affectionate they had been with each other throughout their whole affair and thus failed to fade from Hermione's memory. It had been the last time they had been together, just as they'd promised each other it would be.

Hermione had graduated with her friends the next day, and for most it was the most wonderful of days. They were done with their education and were finally free to live their lives as adults. Hermione suspected only Harry felt the same sadness wash over him at the thought of leaving Hogwarts. It had been his home more than the Dursleys' had ever been. So she took that day as the day that completely changed the direction of her life. She set out to focus on her life after Hogwarts, desperately trying to leave everything with it behind. It had been the hardest year for her. The contact with Snape had ceased completely from the moment she stepped away from Hogwarts last time and she hadn't heard from him or seen him since.

After a year however, she found that it was easier and easier forgetting about Hogwarts and her final year there. She married Ron shortly afterwards and moved into a flat with him. She knew when she married him that her heart still fully belonged to someone else. But it had also been one of the best decisions she had made. Ron turned out to be a better husband then a friend and treated her surprisingly well. They barely ever fought anymore, although their little arguments remained the same as ever. Hermione enjoyed her life with Ron. It was simple, easy and comfortable. All in all her life seemed to be going very well.

This was a helping factor, she thought, as she prepared herself to leave shortly. She reorganized her desk, cleaning everything and putting all papers in a neat pile. She knew she was long over Snape and whatever they had had in her childish years, but it still made her nervous to think that she would be seeing him for the first time since then... Because the last time she had seen him.... Hermione let her thoughts wander once again to their last night. Shaking her head, as if trying to clear the thought from her mind, she grabbed her robe, put it on and left her office. She walked quickly over to the elevators, nodding at people as she went. Once in the atrium, she took a deep breath and spun around. The familiar feeling of being squeezed through a tube came over her, but as soon as it had started, it went away again. She opened her eyes hesitantly and took a look around. She was standing in the familiar square of Hogsmead.

A warmth spread through her that had nothing to do with the weather and her heart began to beat a little faster. It had been too long since she was here. She slowly began to make her way towards the castle, admiring her surroundings as she went. She truly had forgotten how much she loved this place. As she walked across the grounds, she passed the whomping willow and a little smile appeared on her face. Finally, she could see the doors of the enormous castle in front of her and only paused a little to take a breath before entering. She took in the sight of the entrance hall, as impressive as ever and smiled. It really _had_ been too long. Slowly she made her way up the marble staircase, making sure to jump over the trick step that she still knew to be located towards the middle.

She met no one on the way up to the Headmistress' office, as for it being the end of august, the students hadn't arrived yet. She knew the teachers to be here though, since they always arrived a few days before the students did to make preperations for their classes. She stepped in front of the stone gargoyle and muttered the password that had been given her through the letter she received, reminding her of the inspection. It jumped asside and Hermione made her way to the steps that began revolving the second she stepped foot on them. She knocked on the oak doors once the stairs stopped and waited for permission to enter.

"Enter." She heard a brisk female voice from the inside, which caused Hermione to smile once more. Without hesitation she opened the door to the office and let herself in.

"Good evening, Professor." Hermione greeted warmly and quickly crossed the room towards where the woman was sitting behind her desk. "What a pleasure to see you again."

McGonnagal stood up to shake Hermione's hand and smiled in return. "No need to call me 'professor' anymore, Miss Granger. I am no longer your professor." She said warmly. "But then again, neither are you Miss Granger anymore, correct? If I'm not mistaken it's Mrs Weasley now."

Hermione gave her a warm smile. "That's correct." She replied. "But if you don't mind, it would feel unpropper to call you anything but 'professor.'"

"Well, then, you may call me whatever you like." McGonnagal replied. "Now shall we get on? We both know why you're here. We might have a chance to catch up later, but I do suggest you do your job first."

"Of course, Professor." Hermione replied at once, not failing to notice that her old teacher seemed to have kept her tendency to advise, even to her former students. So Hermione quickly began discussing the things she would be looking over and the questions she would be asking. Once finished explaining, she proceeded to do as she had discussed and made sure a parchment and paper were taking down what McGonnagal answered. The whole process didn't take too long and only half an hour later, the parchment that a quill had been writing on finally reached the bottom and Hermione ran out of questions.

"Thank you for your time, Professor. This concludes it." She smiled at her ex-teacher. "Now I will only go to each teacher and ask them to give me a short report on their views of how things are being run and I will be off again."

McGonnagal nodded at her and they shook hands again. "It was nice seeing you, Hermione." She said briskly, but there was a warm tone in her voice. "I do hope you visit us again. You still remain one of the best students I have ever taught."

Hermione said her thanks, promised she'd come back soon, and bade goodbye to the Headmistress. _Now the hard part_. She thought. Her heart was once again beginning to race and she told it angrily to stop. She decided she would begin with the topmost floor and work herself down (Snape being in the dungeons had nothing to do with the fact at all, of course), so she proceeded up to the seventh floor to begin with Professor Trewlaney.

All in all, everything had gone well so far, Hermione thought. All her old professors seemed overjoyed to see their favorite student again and, after giving her the summary that she requested, all made her drink a cup of tea and talk with them about what she had been up to after Hogwarts. Finally, having talked to all the teachers but one, Hermione resigned herself to the fact that she would have to, in a few short minutes, make her way to the dungeons and face the man she once thought she loved.

Her heart now beating more wildly than ever, she made her way slowly and dreadfully down the stairs that led to the dungeons. She was walking slowly to the place she remembered walking to too many times in her seventh year and felt a jolt go through her as she reached the door. _Calm, Hermione... Breathe_ she told herself. _You know he has no effect on you anymore. Whatever you had back then is done now so anything nervousness you feel is stupid. This is just the same as seeing Professor McGonnagal or Flitwick was._ But even as she told herself that, she knew it wasn't true. This was as different as it could be from seeing her other former teachers. But telling herself that she was being silly about getting so nervous, she finally gathered enough courage and knocked on the door.

Nothing could have prepared her for the effect that hearing his voice would have on her. When she heard him say "enter" in that smooth, cold, dangerous voice of his, her heart seemed to stop beating and a shudder went through her body that, once again, had nothing to do with the temperature. Taking a final deep breath, she turned the handle and opened the door to her former potions classroom.

He was standing over a cauldron in the middle of the room, adding what looked like beetle wings to it, all the while stirring it clockwise. Hermione quietly entered and shut the door behind her, turning away from him as she did so. Seeing him didn't seem to help the minor heart attack she was having either. Slowly she turned back around and faced him again, only to see he had still not looked up from his potion.

"Good evening, Professor." She said quietly, and in a rather tentative manner. He stopped stirring at once. The sound of her voice seemed to have woken him up. She saw his head move upwards and a second later his eyes locked on hers. A strange emotion flooded Hermione, but she didn't want to know what it was and pushed the thought aside. She waited for him to speak.

"Miss Granger." He said. The sound of her name from his lips sounded familiar after all these years. He had spoken softly and she knew the only thing that could've caused it was the fact that he had not been expecting her. Hermione realized that they must not mention which of the governors would be coming. A second later he straightened up and his usual expression of no emotion took over his features. "They didn't tell me it would be you who would make the inspection." He said in his normal tone, confirming Hermione's thoughts.

"Actually, professor," Hermione said, now taking on her usual, professional manner as well. She realized the moment of recognition was over. "it's Mrs Weasley now. And well, usually my secretary would come to take the report, but as she is at home with child, I was forced to take over." She finished with a small, emotionless smile.

"I see." Snape replied. He seemed to not have taken any suprise to the fact that Hermione's surname was now the same as the redhead he used to teach. Hermione didn't know whether she was disappointed or relieved, but somehow she took great notice of it. "Well, let's not waste time, shall we? I have a lot to do before the children arrive in a few days."

Hermione nodded and quickly began taking out parchment and paper. "It really is only a few questions and will only take a few minutes of your time, Professor." She said quickly, still speaking in a professional manner, although noticing that he was the only former teacher that had not requested her to stop calling them 'professor.' "It's just to cover the basics on what your opinion is of how the school is run and whether you think that certain changes should be made."

He didn't say anything and just waited for her to continue, crossing his arms and leaning against his desk at the front of the room. Hermione tried to ignore his piercing eyes that were now looking at her quite intensely. "Err... right. Well -" she cleared her throat and looked down at her parchment. "How do you think the administration is running the school?" She asked and only looking up at him when he didn't answer for a few seconds. He was still gazing at her, making Hermione more nervous by the second.

"Well." He replied shortly.

"Right... well..." Hermione made sure the quill was writing this down. She looked down again to read the next question. "Do you think that the rules provided by the headmistress and the Ministry of Magic are well enforced within the castle?" She looked up at him again. He quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Yes."

"And do you think there needs to be any changes made to the staff, the rules or any other person or rule that would make the running of this school easier, better and more safe for its students?" Hermione read quickly and looked back to catch Snape's eyes again. Why was he staring at her so intently?

"No."

Hermione exhaled a long breath that she didn't know she'd been holding and looked down to make everything was notated. "Right." She said, now packing away the parchment and quill. "Well that concludes it. Thanks for your time, Professor." She said, looking up at him one more time. She hesitated for a moment, half expecting him to say something else. But he was still gazing at her as if she was something he had never seen before, his could eyes black and completely expressionless. He gave her a sharp nod after a few seconds, but neither said nor did anythign else. Hermione looked down at her hands.

"All right, then. Good night, Professor." She said quietly and turned to leave. She thought she could feel a lump rising in her throat and a sting in her eyes, but didn't know why on earth she had the urge to cry. She repressed the feeling and instead moved to the door. Just as she had put a hand on the handle and was about to pull the door open, she heard him speak softly behind her, causing her to freeze in her position.

"So you married the Weasley." It wasn't a question. It was a statement. A statement that caused Hermione's heart to start beating frantically again. She turned back around to him once more, very slowly. She looked up, trying to read his expression. She wanted to know what made him say it. But his face and eyes were as unreadable as ever.

"Yes." She breathed as a reply.

He looked at her a little while longer, not saying a single word. They just stared back at each other for a while, neither speaking. Then, finally, he broke the silence. He pushed himself off his desk and turned away from her. "I always knew you would." He said in his normal voice. "Well if you don't mind I have to get back to my potion. Good evening, Mrs Weasley."

Hermione was taken aback by his shortness. But what suprised her more was the feeling that washed over her as she heard her new surname fall from his mouth. It was a cold, unpleasant feeling. She watched him as he walked back over to his potion and began to work on it again. He did not look up at her again after that, so Hermione just turned back around and opened the door and walked out. The room had already become claustrophobic for her so she was glad to be in the cool dungeon hall again. She shut the door behind her and began to walk. Only after a few steps she realized that the clump was rising again and the stinging in her eyes had increased. But there was no stopping it now. She let the feeling wash over her and as she did this, the tears began to pour. Giving a little sob, she slumped against the wall and clutched her chest.

What was this tightness that was pulling at her heart in her chest? As if someone was pulling at it and constricting her airwaves that led to her lungs. Why was she feeling so lightheaded that her knees gave out and she slid to the floor? Why was the blood that was now furiosly pulsing in her wrists and temple all of a sudden scoldingly hot? Why could she not stop sobbing and clutching her chest as if she was about to have a heart attack? After a few moments of this the sobs finally began to fade. Hermione began taking deep breaths and relaxed a little. Slowly, she gathered herself, and when she felt stable enough she stood up and straightened her robes. As she began walking up the steps that led to the entrance hall she furiously wiped away her tears and adopted a stern expression on her face. What had just gotten into her, she did not like it, nor did she ever want to let it happen again. It had been five years and she was acting foolish. She would go home, eat dinner with her husband, and make sure she would forget this little incident as quickly as it had happened.

* * *

**Well this is the beginning to the sequel! I really do hope you enjoyed it!!! Please don't fail to review so I can know whether you like it so far. I also wouldnt mind hearing what you want to happen to the characters. I know the main direction I want to take this, but I don't thinking taking your opinion would be any harm!**

**love to you all**

**xoxomrshmalfoyxoxo**


	2. Don't Go

"Hermione!" The voice of Ginny Potter shouted through the flat. Hermione quickly ran to her sitting room where her fireplace was located. She was not at all suprised to see Ginny's head in the middle of green flames. "Hey Hermione! Can I come over? Are you free?"

"Yeah, sure! Come on over." Hermione replied at once. She had wondered when the witch would stop by. It had been two weeks since her Hogwarts visit and the girl still hadn't dropped by to ask all the details. She watched as Ginny pulled her head out and reappeared after a few seconds, now her whole body stepping out of the fire.

"Hi!" She said cheerfully, hugging her friend tightly. When they finally let go Ginny walked over to Hermione's couch and sat down. A big grin was now etched onto her features and she was looking at Hermione expectantly. "So?" She asked. "Aren't you going to tell me?"

Hermione looked into her friends face for a second before going and taking a seat in the armchair on one side of the couch that the redhead was sitting on. She wasn't sure how exactly to answer her question. She didn't know how much she should tell Ginny. Back at school it had been easier, for then she hadn't been married to her brother. But now that she was a Weasley herself, it seemed less appropriate of a subject. "I don't know what you're talking about, Gin." She thought that ignoring it just a while longer would be the way to go.

"Oh come off it, Hermione." Ginny said impatiently. "You know that I'm talking about your little trip to Hogwarts."

"It went fine." Hermione replied curtly. "The school seems in a good enough condition to -"

"Snape." Ginny interrupted Hermione. She only said the word casually, yet the atmosphere in the room changed immensely.

Hermione sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. She knew this was what Ginny had come here for. An explanation of what had happened when she met Snape. But it still wasn't something Hermione was willing to talk about. Since her visit two weeks ago she had tried with all her might to forget the incident. She had made sure her and Ron were spending more time together than they usually did and otherwise engrossed herself in more work than usual. She had even postponed looking for a new secretary so that she would have more work to distract herself. _Unfortunately nothing seems to be working though..._ Hermione thought bitterly.

She looked up at Ginny with a defeated look in her eyes. "Well," she began slowly. "I saw him."

"Yeah, I figured as much!" Ginny said, now getting to the point where she looked annoyed out of impatience. "But what happened?"

"Nothing happened, Ginny." Hermione replied simply. "I went to ask him the questions I was supposed to ask and that was the end of it. Nothing more."

Hermione thought she saw a disappointed look flicker on Ginny's face, but was sure she had imagined it. Surely Ginny wouldn't want Hermione to cheat on her brother, would she? But anyways, that was a stupid thought, anyways. Hermione would never do something as cruel and low as that. She would never whore herself out and cheat on her husband. _At least in real life..._

"Oh." Ginny said simply. "No awkwardness? No weird attraction after five years? No questions asked? No tears? Just a _professional_ conversation?" She asked now looking at her incredilously. "Come on, Hermione. He must've showed a _little _recognition!"

Hermione fell quiet again. Should she tell Ginny about Snape's question? Should she tell her about how intensely he had stared at her? Should she let her know of how she had broken down afterwards? How she had slumped down on the wall and cried because of the most pain she had felt ever since they had seperated? Hermione chose her next words very carefully. "Well, he did make one comment." She said slowly. "He asked if I had really married Ron. And then he told me he always knew I would."

Ginny's face lit up. It looked like this was exactly something she had been dying to hear. "How did he know you were married to Ron?" She asked curiously, now looking very alive and intereted.

"Well, I corrected him on my name when he called me Miss Granger." Hermione replied simply.

"Ouch!" Ginny said, her face screwed up in a painful scowl. "That was harsh Hermione!"

"What?" Hermione answered a little defensively. "It's not like we're together! Of course I'm going to correct him. I'm a married woman now!" She was reminding herself of that as much as she was Ginny.

"Yes, I know." Ginny answered. "But you guys do have a history. To throw the fact that you were married into his face like that..."

"It doesn't matter, Ginny." Hermione answered, her voice now calm again. "Whatever there was between me and him was just physical, stupid foolish schoolgirl stuff." She looked down at her hands and knew that she was lying through her teeth.

"Maybe for you, although I know that's a lie even on your part." Ginny said a little softer, too. "But Hermione he was a grown man during your relationship. Whatever he felt was real. I'm sure he couldn't just get over it in five years."

Hermione looked up at her friend. There was a pained expression on her face. Ginny really wasn't making this easier for her. "Yeah, well..." She said. "It still doesn't change anything. It ended when it was supposed to and I'm happily married now. It's been five years and for me that was long enough to get over it. It was just weird for me to see him again, that's all."

"You sure?" Ginny asked, now looking a little scared. "Are you sure your old feelings didn't come rushing back when you saw him?" Her voice was tentative, as if afraid to make Hermione mad or receive the wrong answer. Hermione smiled sadly at Ginny. She knew that no matter what the true answer to the question was, there was only one thing she could say to her. Because, she _was_ her sister-in-law, and thus telling her she still felt something with Snape would be telling her that she loved someone other than her brother.

"I'm sure, Ginny." Hermione replied. "It's over, I promise. I don't feel anything for that man anymore." With that she looked down and closed her eyes, knowing very well that if Ginny looked into her eyes right then, she would see how big of a lie that statement had just been.

* * *

Hermione kept herself more busy over the next week than she had ever before. She worked later hours at the office and attended more meetings and parties than she usually would. In one week she managed five meetings, three dinner parties, and to overlook about three thousands pieces of parchment. On Friday evening, she was once again the last one in the office. It was ten o'clock. Way past work time. She sighed when she saw the time and gave an exhausted grunt. She was so tired it was amazing she was even awake right now. She was just about to resign and go home to sleep, she saw as a memo flew through her open office door. She furrowed her eyebrows. Who could send a memo at this time of day? She picked it up and read its contents quickly.

_Dear Hermione,_

_I heard that you recently visited Hogwarts for something to do with your job. I know you are a busy lady, but I would've thought you might want to pay me a visit.  
But it seems you have forgotten about your old Rosmerta. I'm quite disappointed to tell you the truth! Please come visit as soon as possible so we can catch up! I would ask you to come tonight but I know the workaholic you are, that you are either still at work or have worked yourself so much overtime that you are passed out in bed at the moment. But whenever you can spare me moment, please don't hesitate. I'm dying to talk to you after all these years._

_Love,  
Rosmerta_

Hermione smiled at the letter in her hand. She and the boys had become quite close to Rosmerta, the owner of the Three Broomsticks during their last year. Whether this was because Ron had always had a crush on her, or simply because they simply spent most of their weekends there together, she did not know. It was true, Hermione hadn't thought to visit her old friend and now felt guilty for it. She checked her watch again. Maybe she could pay the woman a little visit right now. Yes, she was tired, but it wouldn't hurt her to have a little drink.

Making up her mind, Hermione packed all her stuff away for the weekend and left her office. Once in the atrium, she once again apparated to the Hogsmead square. She took in the fresh air and sighed contently. Fresh air always helped her relax. She turned towards her destination and walked over to it. Once she reached the door, she opened it and entered the Three Broomsticks.

"Hermione!" She heard someone shout at her from across the bar. She smiled as she saw Rosmerta run towards her. "I knew you'd come if I sent you the letter! You never fail to please me!" She embraced her in a warm hug and they walked over to the bar, where Hermione sat down while Rosmerta went to the other side.

"How are you Rosmerta?" Hermione asked. "Sorry for not coming the other day..."

"Oh, it's all right dear! I know you're busy." Rosmerta waved it off carelessly with her hand. "I'm all right, but you, Hermione, look deathly ill. Have you been overworking yourself again?"

Hermione smiled. "Well there's a lot to do in the office..." She replied.

"But surely it can't just be your job to handle it all! Don't you have a secretary?"

"Actually, she's a stay-at-home mother now." Hermione answered taking a sip of the butterbeer that Rosmerta had just placed in front of her. "So no, at the moment I don't."

"Well if you don't get one soon, you're going to writher away!" Rosmerta exclaimed. "Look at you! You've become a walking stick!"

But thankfully Hermione didn't need to reply, because someone had just called Rosmerta over to order drinks. Hermione took another sip of her butterbeer and stared around the bar. It was full of local witches and wizards. No sight of anyone from Hogwarts, though. She sighed again. Who had she been expecting? It wasn't very likely that _he_ would be sitting and having a drink at the Three Broomsticks, was it? But then again, she of course didn't care if he did or not. It's not like she wanted to see him...

"So Hermione!" Rosmerta had come back and was now beaming at her. "Tell me! How have you been?"

The next hour was spent talking to Rosmerta about everything that was new in her life, which was not much. Most of it was work related, plus a little of the traveling that her and Ron had managed to fit into their busy schedules. Charlie had also gotten married to a beautiful Romanian witch, but the wedding had been small. Nothing like Bill and Fleur's, so barely anybody had heard of it. The more Hermione talked and the more she listened, the more at ease she felt. It was really good to talk to someone who didn't know everything about her or who she had to be afraid would know something was seriously wrong with her. It was very nice to just get away from everyone and simply talk with this woman who had no clue about anything Hermione was feeling at the moment.

Finally, Hermione realized that it was almost eleven thirty and that she really needed to be getting home now. "Thank you, Rosmerta." She said, standing up and grabbing into her pocket for money. "It was truly nice to talk to you again. Very refreshing." She pulled out a few coins but Rosmerta slapped her hand away.

"Don't be silly, Hermione." She smiled. "You don't have to pay - don't you try to resist me either!" she snapped when Hermione opened her mouth to protest. "I had a wonderful time, as well! It was very good talking with you. Please don't be a stranger!" They hugged and Hermione bade her a good night. She stepped out into the fresh air once more and again she was overcome with a feeling of relief as she breathed in the clear and cool breeze.

Hermione closed her eyes for a second, as if thinking about it, and then opened them and began walking. But instead of stopping in the middle of the square to disapparate, she kept on walking towards Hogwarts. She had made up her mind. She would take a late night stroll around the Hogwarts grounds. The air seemed to be re-energizing her and clearing her head of all thought, which was exactly what she needed.

So it was, half an hour later, that she found herself strolling around the edge of the lake which she knew the giant squid inhabited. She took her time and walked slowly, taking in all of her wonderful surroundings. She could smell the trees of the forrest behind her and the flowers that surrounded her, living their last moments before the harsh winter. After some time of walking, she sat herself at the edge of the lake, by a particular rock that she had sat by a lot during her years here. This is where she had always come to think when she was in fights with Harry and Ron... _Or when you were thinking about someone else..._ Hermione smiled to herself as she remembered the three month period during her last year during which she had been not seeing Snape. How miserable she had been. How depressed over just a stupid, foolish, schoolgirl crush... _Or about the man that you once loved..._ No! She told herself. She did not love him. Ever. She loved Ron. _As a friend...._ Hermione shook her head, trying to get rid of that stupid voice. But despite all her tries, her mind now drifted to the days she had spent with Snape, hidden behind the protective walls of this castle. She looked over to the Quidditch pitch and smiled. Oh yes, she remembered that day very clearly as well. She chuckled to herself...

"And what do we have here?" A voice drawled behind her. "A student out of bed?" Hermione whipped around and only then saw the tall figure that was standing by her, his wand lit and pointed at her. _Speak of the devil..._ Hermione didn't know how she hadn't heard him approaching. She must've been too wrapped up in her thoughts. But then she heard him intake a rather sharp breath and new that he was suprised to see that it, in fact, wasn't a student out of bed, but Hermione herself.

"Mrs Weasley." He said curtly. Hermione's heart had began pounding rapidly in her chest again, but she regained composure quickly and stood up to face the man that had occupied her thoughts just a moment ago. "My apologies. I thought you were a student out of bed." He said, not sounding sorry at all.

"It's quite all right..." She murmured quietly and fixed her robes before looking up at him again. She could feel her cheeks flush and hoped he wouldn't see it in the dim light.

"May I inquire what you are doing on Hogwarts grounds at such time?" He asked. Hermione could hear the curiosity in his voice. Her heart pounded faster. She really hoped he hadn't thought that she came for _him_. Because that thought would be absurd. She would never do such thing...

"I was visiting Rosmerta." She replied after a second's hesitation. "She was quite disappointed I didn't see her on my previous trip to -"

"Which still doesn't explain why you are on Hogwarts hours at such late hours." Snape interrupted, his voice monotonous yet icy.

"Well I wanted to take a walk." Hermione shot back, her blood beginning to boil. "But I do not think I need to explain myself to you _Mr._ Snape. I am no longer your student and don't need to give you excuses for my actions." She emphasized the 'mr' part, making sure he understood that he was no longer her professor. She was now glaring at him and was even more upset when his mouth curled and he quirked an eyebrow at her.

"You are quite right, Mrs Weasley." He replied, sounding slightly amused. "You are no longer my student. But it is part of my job to ensure the safety of this -"

"Oh, come off it." This time it was Hermione who interrupted him. "I'm less of a threat to this castle than a flobberworm has ever been to any human and you know this! So please stay out of my business and leave me alone." Hermione didn't know what made her say it or why she was so angry at him at the moment. But right now all she could feel is hatered for the man who stood in front of her. For the man to still managed to sneak into her dreams after nearly six years of torture...

Snape had stepped towards Hermione and gazed down upon her with his black eyes. He looked quite intimidating in this light, Hermione thought, but she didn't let him get to her. "No need to get smart, _Mrs Weasley_." He drew out the name. Somehow, she didn't know how, but the use of her new surname stung her heart like a knife had been stuck right through it. Why it upset her so much, but it caused her more pain than she could handle at the moment and her defenses broke down. She watched his eyes lighten in satisfaction. "I was merely trying to make sure that no body was sneaking around the grounds. But I see you have kept the tendency to be insufferably stubborn and stuck up. Now if you don't mind, I will do exactly as you have asked and leave you to your business. Goodnight Mrs Wea -"

"Don't."

Hermione had spoken softly, nearly too soft to be heard. But she knew he had heard her, for he stopped mid sentence and looked down at her. She was avoiding his eyes. Somehow she couldn't look at him right now. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to regain composure.

"Excuse me?" He asked, his voice a near hiss and sounding more dangerously than ever.

"Please don't call me that name." Hermione replied, this time only a bit louder and stronger.

When she looked up at him she saw a small smirk on his face. "I believe it was _you_ who so kindly reminded me that it is your new surname, was it not?" He asked her. "Or has your brain capacity run out at such young age? No suprise really, after you memorized the whole library during your years here."

Hermione knew he was trying to get to her. She took another deep breath and looked up at him. "I - I know I told you - told you to call me that, but..." her voice faded. She breathed in again. "I don't like how it sounds when you say it." She was gazing in his eyes now. She watched his expression change and his cold front seem to disappear. His muscles in his face relaxed and he simply stared down at her with the same intense gaze he had looked at her with three weeks ago. He didn't answer her. They looked at each other for a while. Hermione's confession seemed to change their whole relationship towards each other from now on. Before they had been cold and professional to each other, completely ignoring whatever they might've had before. But now Hermione had drawn light upon their past. Her admitting that she didn't like him calling her 'Weasley' brought up all unspoken words between them. As he continued to stare at her, Hermione once again felt that familiar lump rising in her throat.

She was first to break eye contact. She couldn't have him see her get all teary. Not like this. She cleared her throat. "I gotta get going then. Good evening, Professor." She mumbled, and with another moments hesitation made to step around Snape. But something stopped her. When she looked down she saw that he had stuck out his arm in order to prevent her from leaving. His forearm was now pressed against her belly and an involuntary shiver went down her spine. She looked up to her side to see him still looking at her.

"Don't go." He said in a barely recognizable voice. Hermione's eyes widened in shock and she felt transfixed to her spot. She didn't move or speak at all for the next thirty seconds or though. Her mind was working in overload, trying to process what he had just said. She didn't know what to do. What would happen if she stayed? She knew she couldn't find out, though, She couldn't risk losing what she had worked for for five years now. She couldn't give it up. No matter how badly she wanted to stay with him...

She cleared her throat and looked away. "Excuse me, Professor, it really is getting too late. I need to get going." And without another word she walked away. She didn't dare look back or stop, for now her heart was beating almost uncontrolably and she was sure that if she stopped moving her legs she would have another breakdown. She couldn't afford that at the moment. Not with him still standing there, as she was sure she had left him in shock. So she kept forcing her legs forward, taking long strides at top speed. Tears were streaming down her cheeks now but that didn't stop her either. As soon as she got out of the grounds, she turned on the spot and disapparated into the night.

* * *

**And here is the second chapter! Hope you enjoyed! Don't forget to review!**

**xoxomrshmalfoyxoxo**


	3. Close Call

Slamming the door shut behind him, he strode over to his desk quickly and slumped down onto the chair furiously. If anyone could see Severus Snape at this moment, they would be running for their lives. His features were etched into a look of pure disgust and his eyes were ablaze with fury. There was a powerful presence to him, as if his anger seemed to be pouring out of him, making him seem like a walking bomb. He was definitely not in his best mood.

Severus tried to catch his irregular breath and calm himself down. He could not let himself loose control like this, it wasn't good. _Too late..._ a spiteful voice retorted in his head. It was true. Tonight Severus had truly lost control, something which didn't occur too often. He didn't know what had made him do it, nor did he care. All he knew was that he was stupid enough to let his guard down for that one moment, and it had ruined _everything_! Severus Snape did not _ever_ leave his guard down! So why the bloody hell had he done so tonight? What spell had that stupid witch put on him that had made him ask her to not go...

It all had started with her visit three weeks ago. He had not been expecting her. As a matter of fact, she was completely out of his mind at that point. He had worked relentlessly on forgetting her throughout the past five years and, with his old skill to block his mind to anything he needed to block out, he had shoved her into a corner of his brain that was rarely ever used. He had put her away for good, knowing that there was no reason to dwell on something that didn't exist anymore, so he had forced himself to forget her. But what he did not expect, was to see her ever again. At least not so soon.

But he had been in his classroom, making some pepper-up potion for Madam Pomfrey when he heard someone knock. He had been expecting the inspector so without thinking twice about it he told them to enter. When somebody stepped in and closed the door, he did not look up, but kept brewing his potion. What had frozen him was the sound of her voice. _"Good evening, Professor."_ He hadn't needed to look up to know it was her. A sudden shiver had rushed through his body that he had recognized as shock. After he had recovered, he had looked up at her.

Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw before him. She had grown. Her curls were now longer, hanging just below her breasts. Her face had lost the childish look. Her features had refined and matured, making her look like the beautiful woman he had known she would be. She had grown a little, too. Her body, even though she was in robes, looked fuller and riper. He hadn't let her see that he had been looking at her and instead voiced his surprise at seeing her here. He could not for his life remember what explanation she had given him, for something else she said had punched him in the stomach. She told him to call her "Mrs Weasley." He had known that she married the weasel, something like two war heroes marrying eachother could not be kept out of the papers, but it still felt like he didn't much appreciate calling her by his name.

After that she had begun to give him the ridiculously stupid inspection questions, all the while stuttering in her nervousness. He knew that coming to him made her nervous and that she had seriously debated not showing up, that was clear in her eyes. But the perfectionist inside her had prevented her from skipping him. With a lot of effort, he had forced his voice to be cold and harsh as always. He didn't show any sign of recognizing his former lover until the very last moment. He didn't know what made him ask it, but he had done it anyways. He was already mad at showing weakness at that point. _This_, this was worse.

When he saw her at the lake tonight, it had been different. He had once again been surprised to see her. She was the last person he expected to catch. But he put up his normal act of indifference and harshness. Everything went fine until she had spoken those words. She had said that she didn't like the sound of her new surname on his lips. At first, Snape had gotten deep satisfaction out of it. He had liked that he found something to bother her with. But the look she gave him made him forget what he had been thinking at all. It was like she was looking at him, knowing exactly what he was thinking. He wasn't used to that. And the sadness he could fully well see in hers didn't make it easier. He had seen pain, desperation and loneliness behind those orbs, and it had done something strange to him. Then he spoke those words that ruined his composure. "_Don't go..." _

Snape gave out an angry yell and slammed his fist onto his desk. He had been _weak_! Something he despised beyond all other thing. Weakness was for love-struck fools. He thanked Merlin that she had been in her senses and denied the request. He did not know what he would've done had she stayed. There was no way he wanted to spend the night with a foolish little prat like her. And he knew that it would be bad for her as well. She was finally married, had an good job, and had built her life around the morals she had always kept herself to. Staying with him would ruin that for her, he knew that. So she had done the smart thing.

Snape closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. This was simply not acceptable. He had worked so hard, for five years, to forget her existence. To let her go. Yet she shows up twice in one month after five years and he becomes weak. Unethical. It was not to happen again. He would need to show her, that is if he saw her again, that he was not an old, weak fool, but still a strict and in-control man. He was not going to _ever_ be weak again.

* * *

"_Don't go... Don't go..._" the words rung in her head, as if on repeat. What had he meant by that? Why did he ask her to stay? _What would have happened if I did?_Hermione asked herself over and over again. She tried to play out the different scenarios in her mind, but in all of them, they ended up somehow the same. A blush crept up her cheeks and she shook the thought from her mind. She wasn't a stupid schoolgirl anymore. She was a married woman. This was unacceptable. Her heart was still pounding in her chest and her tear-stained face was now extremely dry. Her eyes were wide and stung with their strain to produce more tears to catch up to her wild emotions.

_I did the right thing..._ She kept telling herself. _I walked away_... But she couldn't deny the fact that she hadn't wanted to stay with all her might. What would've happened if she had acted on his words, she did not know. But it had taken all her strength to walk away. Afterwards she had apparated home and flung herself on her bed at once, letting herself breakdown for the second time that month. It had been nearly an hour now and she had just run out of tears.

Hermione sighed and closed her eyes. A sudden tiredness washed over her but she didn't dare fall asleep. Not after the dreams had started again. A certain anger built up in her. Why was she so weak? Why was she letting herself give into these foolish dreams again? This is what had started so long ago. And back then she had been weak, too. She had let the dreams take over her and let them lead her down a path that now caused her pain beyond belief. She was still mystified on _why_ she was suffering this much. After all, she didn't love the man. So why did seeing him affect her so much? Why did she _care_ so much?!

She groaned in frustration and turned over on her pillow. _No._ She told herself._ You will never be weak again. Not after what it took you to forget about him. Not after what you went through in order to get over him. _Hermione had made up her mind. She would never let herself become all emotional when she was around him. That is, _if_ she was around him. She hadn't seen him once in five years, but in the past month alone she seemed to have seen him twice already. So if there was even the smallest chance that she saw him again, Hermione knew she couldn't let her guard down. No. She had to resist this.

The door to her bedroom opened. _Ron's finally home_. Hermione turned on the bed to look at him. He was taking off his robes and getting undressed for the night. When he caught her looking at him, wide awake, he smiled.

"I didn't know you were awake." He spoke softly. Once undressed to only his boxers he walked over to her and climbed into bed. He smiled at her and gave her a kiss. "What a nice suprise."

"I couldn't sleep." Hermione answered truthfully. She wasn't worried why her husband was home so late. Many friday nights him and Harry went out for drinks after work to celebrate the end of a stressful week. She forced a smile on her face. "I think I need something to knock the energy out of me."

Ron's smile grew into a grin. "I think I could think of a thing or two that would do that..." And with that, he covered her body with his and kissed her deeply. Hermione sighed in relief. Some distraction was good. Now she had to make sure that it was her husband she thought of while making love.

* * *

Weeks passed by and Hermione returned to her normal life. She went to work everyday, came home at six, and had dinner with her husband. Some days they went to the Burrow, and somedays they went to visit Harry and Ginny in Godric's Hollow. It was nice. She was constantly kept busy and thus successfully put the recent events out of her mind. At least during the day.

Her and Ron became closer as each week went by, because Hermione had set her mind on pushing Snape out of it completely. So her and Ron began having sex more often. She hoped that if she was satisfied with her husband, she wouldn't dream of thinking of any other man. Unfortunately, that only partially worked. As Ron was very loving in bed, he wasn't extremely skilled. He was completely unselfish and made sure that Hermione got as much satisfaction as him. But often times he wasn't very good at achieving this goal. Hermione in return, feeling guilty that she couldn't reach her finish, would fake it for him. This completely fooled him and he finished happily, thinking they had both gotten what they wanted. It usually didn't worry Hermione. Over the years she had expected to have lesser orgasms and the importance of sex in her life had decreased by a lot. She felt that she didn't need to be sexually satisfied to be happy.

Only lately, it was bothering her more than ever. During the nights, Hermione would still be constantly bothered by dreams that woke her up sweaty and heavy with arousal. Even her attempts at waking Ron and getting him to fulfill her pleasure didn't work. She was getting more and more frustrated by each night, but refused to admit this to herself. She chose to ignore the panging need in between her legs and focused her mind on other things. Who needed good sex anyway? It didn't matter, as long as her husband loved her, which Ron did plenty of.

Hermione sighed, sitting at her desk and looking over the applications. She needed to focus on looking at the applicants right now, so she could finally get herself a new secretary. She really was starting to get overwhelmed by her work. It sort of reminded her of her third year, when she barely slept in order to finish all her schoolwork. She smiled to herself, thinking of her Hogwarts days. _Knock knock_. Hermione looked up. That would be her first applicant.

Hermione's mood only seemed to get worse as she interviewed each of the witches, even some wizards. All of them seemed to be fresh out of Hogwarts and looking for something to do while they figured out what they wanted to do with their lives. Unfortunately, none of them seemed very smart. One girl hadn't gotten a single N.E.W.T. and only scraped 2 OWLs before that, while another wizard could barely stop stuttering out of excitement and had managed to knock over large piles of parchments and spray ink all over them in the process. Finally, Hermione interviewed her last applicant. Her name was Avicia Adrian. She seemed smart enough, with 6 N.E.W.T.s and 12 OWLs and seemed very organised and polite. Realizing that she was the best option at hand, Hermione didn't hesitate to hire her. Honest to Merlin, she had been a relief.

Finally getting that out of the way, Hermione decided it was time to get home. It was only four, but she couldn't handle anything more. Her brain seemed fried and she wanted to curl up with her book for a couple of hours before she went to the Burrow with Ron. So she grabbed all her belongings and five minutes later she was in the atrium, ready to disapparate.

"Hermione!" A voice rang from behind her. Hermione took a deep breath and sighed. She knew that voice all too well. "Hermione, how glad am I to catch you!"

Hermione plastered a fake smile and turned around to come face to face with the Minister of Magic himself, Fagus Belindale. He had taken a loving to Hermione, Harry and Ron ever since they began working at the ministry. He managed to find them at the most inappropriate times. "Minister." Hermione greeted him as warmly as she could manage. "How nice to see you."

"Likewise, likeways, Hermione." He said joyfully. Hermione looked at the miserably short and plump man in front of her. He was wearing bright green robes that didn't flatter his round belly and seemed to make his balled head shine even more. "How are you holding up? Heard it's really busy for you folk these days."

"Oh, it's nothing we can't manage." Hermione replied in a strained voice. She really wanted to get going, but she knew it was near impossible to get rid of this old man.

"Always so modest!" Belindale exclaimed happily, admiration clear in his eyes. Hermione had to stop herself from rolling her eyes.

"Yes, well if you excuse me, I was just getting ready to-"

"Don't be silly, dear!" Belindale interrupted her. He had grabbed her by her arm and was now dragging her towards the middle of the atrium. "I was just getting ready to take a little trip to Hogwarts. You know, just to check in with the teachers. Headmistress McGonnagal was kind enough to invite me to dinner. I insist that you accompany me!"

Hermione's eyes widened in shock. That was the last place that she wanted to be. "Oh, Minister, how kind!" She said quickly. "But I cannot accept, you see I have plans to eat with my husband and his family this evening."

"Well, it's only four!" He argued. "Hogwarts dinner starts early, you know. We'll be in and out in a jiffy." He dragged her a little further. "Now stop trying to find excuses and apparate with me."

"Minister, I-"

"I won't take no for an answer!" He interrupted again, but this time his voice was a little bit more stern and his grip tightened. Hermione sighed in resignation.

"Shall we go then?" She asked half-heartedly. Belindale beamed at her.

"We shall."

* * *

Half an hour later, Hermione found herself in McGonnagal's office once more. Behind her, the Minister and McGonnagal were making small talk, while she was crouched over a piece of parchment with a quill in her hand. She was writing to Ron, letting him know that she would meet him at the Burrow. She explained that she had been dragged off to Hogwarts with the Minister and might be a little late. Quickly finishing up, she tied the note to the leg of an owl that had been called down for her from the owlery, and watched it while it flew away.

"I believe it's time for dinner, yes?" She heard Belindale exclaim behind her. She turned around and smiled. Just then she heard about a hundred footsteps in the halls, signifying that afternoon classes had just gotten out and were making their ways down to the great hall for dinner.

"I do believe so." McGonnagal replied. "Let us go."

And so the three made their way down, meeting Professor Flitwick and Sprout on the way down. They joined into the conversation joyously. Hermione really seemed to be the only one not enjoying herself. No matter how hard she tried, her eyes kept flickering around to see if she could spot... _Stop it Hermione! You are being ridiculous..._Finally, they had reached the hall, which was already filled with food and students, and made their way over to the staff table. As soon as Hermione and Belindale arrived, they saw that the table magically elongated itself to fit two more people in.

"Hermione, why don't you take the seat on the opposite side of the Headmistress." Batula said, pointing towards the chair. "This way we'll both be able to sit by her." Hermione went over, now sitting towards the left of her former teacher. On her left was the only chair open on the staff table. Hermione had a nervous feeling in her stomach. She leaned forward and looked from her left to her right. It felt like someone had punched her on the stomach. The only teacher who wasn't at the table yet was -

"Oh, how nice of you to join us, Severus!" Belindale had stood up excitedly to shake the hand of Severus Snape, who was now standing behind McGonnagal's chair. Hermione swallowed. She hadn't seen him enter.

"Minister." Snape replied curtly, shaking his hand. "I didn't know we would be joined by guests. What a pleasant suprise." He didn't sound pleased at all. His eyes left Belindale and wandered over to McGonnagal, passed her as well and landed on - Hermione gulped.

"This is Hermione Granger, Severus." Belindale exclaimed excitedly. He threw Hermione a brief look, clearly wondering why she hadn't stood to greet the potions master herself. Hermione stood up hesitantly. "But surely you know her. Why she must've been one of your students five years ago!" Belindale beamed from one to the other. The excitement of this man should really be banned, Hermione thought.

"Yes," drawled Snape. His eyes didn't leave hers. "I know Miss Granger very well." Hermione restrained herself from gasping. She also didn't fail to notice he hadn't called her 'Mrs Weasley' again. Hermione extended a shaky hand, knowing that they were expected to shake hands. But nothing could prepare her for the feeling that cursed through her when their hands met. It was as if a shot of electricity had gone up her hand, onto her spine and down to her... The shake lasted less than a second, for both party let go as if electrocuted. Hermione cleared her throat and turned away from Belindale, who was still beaming at them both, and Snape. She took her seat once again, not daring to look up at anybody. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply once and looked up again.

"Are you quite all right, Hermione?" McGonnagal asked her, giving her a slightly curious look. Hermione was very aware that Snape had now seated himself beside her. "You seem a bit flushed."

Hermione wished with all her might that she could make time go back and prevent the Headmistress from saying those words. She knew very well that Snape had heard everything, as he was right by them. This was _not_ helping her new plan to act as normal as possible whenever around him. But her heart wasn't helping much either. Neither was her stomach.

"Oh, yes!" Hermione said quickly. "It's just a little hot in here, don't you think?" She asked. Now that she was thinking about it, her face did seem to be overheating a bit. She quickly loosened the straps of her robe. Instead of waiting for a reply, however, she quickly turned to the table, which was now laden with food. It looked as delicious as ever, but Hermione didn't have much of an apatite at the moment.

Conversation broke out almost instantly around her, as the Minister, Headmaster and the rest of the staff began filling their plates and cups. Hermione wasn't listening. The pounding of her heart was deafening and her stomach was doing backflips. It was hard for her to breathe. She was only very aware of one thing, which happened to be the person sitting to her left. Snape had now filled his plate, although Hermione noticed only a little, and had began eating. Once in a while he would answer briskly to a question the Minister asked him, or nod to his left, where Professor Sprout made little comments to him. Once or twice, she felt him shift next to her, as if uncomfortable himself. With only a few inches in between him and herself, Hermione found it very hard to think of anything else. Hermione kept her head, looking slightly more to her left in an attempt to not have to see him. The words that were spoken to her barely registered and she had a hard time focusing on what the Minister was asking.

"...has never failed to please, aren't I right, Hermione?" The Minister's voice had gradually become louder and only now had she realized she was being addressed. She looked up. McGonnagal and Belindale were both staring at her. Hermione had the inkling that someone else was looking her way, as well. She blushed crimson at being caught unattended and was speechless for just a second.

"Err.... yes, Minister." She said quickly, thinking of nothing else. "Always satisfactory..." Her voice died away and she looked down. But apparently this was good enough for Belindale, for he continued excitedly on in his apparently very interesting story.

Glad she had escaped, Hermione sighed a breath of relief and slumped into her chair. "Are you quite sure, you're all right, Hermione?" Suprised, Hermione looked up to see that McGonnagal was now looking at her questioningly once again. "You seem a bit distracted. And you haven't touched a bit of dinner." Hermione had a feeling her professor was trying to look into her eyes with just a little too much intensity. She needed to leave.

"Oh, now that you mention it," Hermione said, sliding her chair back a little. "I feel a bit queasy. I think I'm going for a walk." She stood up and smiled at McGonnagal.

Belindale had looked up as Hermione had gotten up and beamed at her again. "Hermione, please do stay close. I want to apparate back to the Ministry with you. I have a couple of cases I would like to discuss before you retire for the night." He said quickly.

It took all her might to not glare at the Minister. Now she knew why he had dragged her along to Hogwarts. There was something he wanted to discuss with her today and wanted to prevent her from going home just yet. A great pang of annoyance spread through her and she simply smiled and nodded before walking away. She crossed the hall as fast as she could and did the same with the Entrance Hall. Soon enough, she was standing on the grounds of Hogwarts castle once again. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She could feel her muscles relaxing already. Yes, fresh air always did her good.

She began walking, not knowing where her feet were taking her. Her mind still abuzz, but she tried her hardest to ignore it. She didn't want to think about it anymore. She had already wasted too much time of her life thinking about it. Thinking about _him_. She couldn't continue to do so. So she walked, trying to forget it all. She just kept her feet moving, not knowing where she was going, but did not resist. It felt enlightening. It felt as though walking would clear her troubles, so she didn't stop. But something strong, something urgent, was spreading throughout Hermione the more she walked. It wasn't a feeling, to be exact. It was different. Way different. It seemed to her to be the knowledge of something.

She stopped. She had reached the edge of the forest. She was standing by the lake near a spot where she had often seen Harry sit all alone, when he was particularly upset or lonely. The thing that had engulfed her from within was stronger than ever and pressed against her. It was nearly unbearable and it took all her effort to not let it explode inside her, for if it did, she knew the results would be bad. Hermione once again closed her eyes and breathed in deep. She needed to calm herself down. But then a voice came from behind her that did nothing to help the matter.

"Miss Granger."

Hermione spun around. His voice was quiet yet clear. She stared at him for a moment, then seemed to come to her senses and relaxed he posture.

"I've been sent to summon you to the Headmistress' office." Hermione could hear the resentment in his voice. He didn't like the idea of being used as a messenger. Hermione figured he had had enough of that for a lifetime.

"Right." Was all she said in reply. They began walking. As they walked, Hermione felt that pressing bubble inside her again. She tried her hardest to ignore it, but it wasn't working very well. As they walked, Hermione noticed he put a deliberate distance between them. They were almost even in step, him slightly in front of her, but there was an awkward four or five feet in between them. Hermione realized this was a symbol that there was nothing in between them. Yet to her, it seemed a little exaggerated. She felt it would be more obvious that they were walking so far apart, rather then if they were walking at a normal distance from each other.

Hesitantly, she moved a little closer to him. Now there was only about three feet in between them. He didn't react. Hermione tested him further by swaying her path and closing the distance to about two feet. It was then that she saw him glance back at her slightly. He distanced himself a little more. For some strange reason, this annoyed Hermione. Stubbornly, she once again moved closer. He repeated the process of walking further away, yet she refused to let him control the situation. After all, she could walk wherever she pleased. She took another step, slightly sidewards, but this time over measuring it and landing so close to him that their arms nearly touched.

The next thing she knew, Snape had spun towards Hermione, grabbing her upped arm in the process and blocking her way completely with his body. Had his grip on her not been extremely tight, she would've walked right into him.

"_What_do you think you're doing, Miss Granger?" Snape hissed down at her, his face contorted in anger. Hermione was shocked to see him so angry, yet that was washed from her mind at the realization of how close they were standing to each other. Her breath hitched.

"I - I -" She didn't know what to say. Her voice seemed to not make its way out of her throat.

"Are you going to explain to me, or do you prefer stuttering?" His tone was icy, but when his breath hit her face, Hermione lost all control. Her knees weakened and her mind spun. She was becoming increasingly light headed and thought she might pass out at any moment. A sudden fire erupted inside her that she recognized all too well and there was no strength inside her to attempt to stop it from spreading. The fire took over her senses and all she could do was try to keep on breathing. Yet this was proving disadvantageous as well, because her nostrils filled with his aroma, which reminded her of only one thing. Mind-blowing sex.

Even in her hazy mind, she saw his expression changing. The lust she was feeling must be apparent on her face, she thought, for Snape was now looking a cross between confused and intrigued. His grip on her arm didn't slacken, but only held her tighter. Her eyelids were drooping to the point where her sight could only focus on the face in front of her. She was barely able to process anything in her brain. The only thing that seemed to be working properly was telling her to close the distance between her and the man in front of him. But she didn't need to act on her own accord, because the hand that was holding her was now guiding her closer to her goal. She could see and feel his burning gaze upon her. Hermione felt her knickers dampen. They were so close now. She could feel his breath on her lips... They were mere centimeters away... _Oh God..._

"There you are, Hermione!"

The couple shot away from each other as if they had been electrocuted. There was now a good few feet in between them and each of them was looking at the approaching figure of Belindale, trying to look as innocent as possible. Hermione kept her eyes away from Snape as much as possible.

"I know I sent Severus to fetch you, but I figured it is time for us to depart." He had finally reached them and smiled at Snape. "So sorry to have bothered you, Severus."

"It was my pleasure, Minister." She heard him drawl. Hermione thought she could see his eyes flicker over at her for a split second before he continued addressing the Minister. "I'm afraid I must get going, as well. Good evening, Minister." He bowed his head slightly. Hermione dared to steal him a glance. "Miss Granger." He avoided her eyes and then briskly turned towards the castle and began walking away from the two.

Belindale watched him retreat for a few seconds before turning to Hermione. "Brilliant man, Severus. But a bit stiff and unfriendly, don't you agree?" He asked her. Hermione only nodded and smiled a small, fake laugh. The Minister's expression changed as he beamed at her. "Shall we go, then?" Hermione only nodded again. Taking this as a sign he began to walk towards the entrance gates.

Hermione exhaled deeply and closed her eyes. She inhaled again, in an attempt to calm her nerves, before opening them and walking after the Minister, not daring to look back at the castle. That had been a close call.

* * *

**And so there's the third chapter for you! I know there's no smut yet, but trust me its well on its way for you who are impatiently waiting for it. After my last story I dare not disappoint. ;) **

**Please don't forget to review!!!**

**xoxomrshmalfoyxoxo**


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